Even Democratic parents outraged after school district hosts lecture on 'gender terminology,' raising transgender kids

 A group of approximately 30 parents — including some who identified as Democrats — gathered to protest against a California school district that hosted a lecture about "gender terminology" and raising transgender children, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported.

According to the outlet, Davis Joint Unified School District in northern California partnered with Davis Parent University, a committee of volunteer representatives, to host a lecture by Rachel Pepper, one of the authors of the book "The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Parents and Professionals."

"Davis Parent University, which is an organization that brings speakers to our town, to our community to educate parents on a variety of things, had Rachel Pepper come to talk about 'The Transgender Child.' That's her book," Allie Snyder, a Davis Unified parent, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. "Her approach is that if a child says that they have a particular gender identity, we have to affirm that regardless of the age of the child, regardless of whatever trauma they may have experienced in the past or whatever. Her contention is that children know, they have an internal sense and we must affirm them."

Initially published in 2008, Pepper's book is described as having been "lauded as the most trusted source of information for families wanting to understand and affirm their transgender, gender-expansive, or nonbinary child." It discusses the development of gender ideology, "affirming parenting practices," and "medical decision making." The book is meant to be a "compassionate" educational guide about gender identity.

Pepper was originally scheduled to give an in-person lecture on Wednesday to discuss "gender identity development in children and teens" and "gender terminology." Pepper's lecture hoped to answer "why and how to meet gender expansive and transgender young people where they are;" "why and how to offer understanding, love and support to gender diverse children and teens;" and "how to understand and process the range of parental/caregiver emotions surrounding gender creativity."

The event was then moved to a virtual lecture because of "increased community interest" and safety concerns. Children 12 years and older were invited to attend the online event with a parent.

After learning about the controversial lecture hosted by the school district, parents picketed on Wednesday with signs that read "democrats against experimenting on kids" and "loving parents don't support gender ideology."

Erin Friday, a Davis resident, told the DCNF that many parents do not think the school district should be pushing transgender ideology on children.

"[We had] messages of 'accept your body,' 'parents who love their children protect their children's bodies,' so very positive," Friday stated. "Then of course, we have a couple signs that show that we're Democrats because it's a really important part of any of the story because no one believes that the Democrats you know, the rank and file Democrats are against this, and we are."

According to a FOIA request obtained by Libs of TikTok earlier this month, Davis Joint Unified School District was accused of partnering with CommuniCare, a health care provider, "to provide children with gender transition hormones and surgeries without parental consent."

The Daily Caller News Foundation reported that Davis Parent University, Davis Unified School District, CommuniCare, and Pepper did not respond to a request for comment.